Restaurant News & Reviews

Exquisito Fine Chocolates is making bean-to-bar chocolate in Little Havana chocolate factory. Carolina Quijano learned chocolate making and is opening a factory in the heart of Miami. Hers is the first in the city to make chocolate on site. She also sells chocolate truffles and bars.

Biscayne Bay Brewing will open a second location in downtown Miami's historic Old U.S. Post Office building. The American Institute of Architects, which renovated the building for the Miami Center for Architecture and Design, was asked to move. The brewery will open in the winter of 2018. The nonprofit is looking for a permanent home.

The James Beard Foundation awards are considered the Oscars of the culinary world. Eight chefs were semifinalists in 2018. Only one, Brad Kilgore, head chef-owner at Alter in Wynwood, was named a finalist. Nina Compton, who made a name for herself at Scarpetta Miami Beach, won the award.

State restaurant inspectors cited nine restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for rodent activity and shut down two restaurants for the day. Coral Springs' Tommy Fats made the Rodent Report for the third time this year.

Panera Bread is named as a defendant in a lawsuit to be filed Monday in federal court that claims romaine lettuce from Freshway Foods in a Panera salad was the source of an E. coli infection that caused a woman's kidney failure.

Paon Eatery Tapas Bar on the Bay Harbor Islands ties together Spanish and Argentine dishes in a restaurant styled in a Bali theme. Seafood like shrimp and octopus, Argentine dishes like empanadas and melted cheese and Spainsh preparations of octopus are on the restaurant’s menu.

Munch Madness champion 2018: Bocas House, the Miami-based restaurant chain, won readers’ votes. Readers voted online in the Munch Madness 2018 bracket for their favorite and best Miami-area restaurants. Winners were announced on Facebook Live on April 3.

Manolo and Rene café was forced to close when flood waters from Hurricane Irma damaged the corner on which it stood for 40 years. But it has reopened less than half a block away, and fans are rediscovering the family Miami restaurant.

Munch Madness Finals 2018: It’s time to crown a champion! Readers can vote online in the Munch Madness 2018 bracket for their favorite and best Miami-area restaurants. Voting for the winner runs from March 29- April 2. Winners will be announced April 3.

Cuban coffee is the signature Miami drink. Cafecito, cortadito, cafe con leche and colada are the most common ways to order Cuban coffee in Miami. We show you what to ask for when ordering Cuban coffee.

Munch Madness final four: We’re down to just four restaurants in our March Madness-style tournament! Readers can vote online in the Munch Madness 2018 bracket for their favorite and best Miami-area restaurants. Voting runs from March 26-28. Winners will be announced April 3.

Munch Madness Elite Eight: We’re down to just eight restaurants in our March Madness-style tournament! Readers can vote online in the Munch Madness 2018 bracket for their favorite and best Miami-area restaurants. Voting runs from March 22-24. Winners will be announced April 3.

Munch Madness sweet sixteen: We’re down to just 16 restaurants in our March Madness-style tournament! Readers can vote online in the Munch Madness 2018 bracket for their favorite and best Miami-area restaurants. Voting runs from March 19-21.